Monthly drilling permits filed in Ohio, with spuds and first production alongside, the counties with the most permits, and how long permits take to reach spud. Every figure is a count or percentile Buckhead computes from grouped records; no individual well is listed.
Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Last computed: 2026-10-04.
Quick answer: Ohio recorded at least 257 drilling permits in the 12 months through Sep 2026, by Buckhead Energy’s count of published monthly figures; Belmont County had the most permits (39). The median permit reached spud in 16 days. Months with fewer than 3 permits are withheld, so totals are floors.
At least 257 in the 12 months through Sep 2026. The figure adds the published monthly counts; months with fewer than 3 permits are withheld, so it is a floor rather than an exact count.
By permits in the last 12 months: Belmont County (39), Carroll County (38), Harrison County (37). The table on this page lists up to 25 counties.
For permits 6 to 36 months old, the median permit reached spud in 16 days; the middle half took 7 to 40 days. Permits that were never spudded are not in these percentiles.
A permit is regulatory approval to drill. It does not establish that a well will be drilled, which tract it will include, or whether production or royalty payments will follow.
Last 24 months, newest first. Months with fewer than 3 wells in a column show <3. Figures for the most recent months may change as records are updated.
| Month | Permits | Spuds | First production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2026 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2026 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 2026 | 22 | 0 | 19 |
| May 2026 | 27 | 0 | 34 |
| Apr 2026 | 21 | 0 | 24 |
| Mar 2026 | 15 | 0 | 13 |
| Feb 2026 | 25 | 0 | 14 |
| Jan 2026 | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| Dec 2025 | 35 | 0 | 17 |
| Nov 2025 | 13 | 4 | 14 |
| Oct 2025 | 29 | 11 | 28 |
| Sep 2025 | 28 | 14 | 11 |
| Aug 2025 | 24 | 15 | 23 |
| Jul 2025 | 17 | 15 | 41 |
| Jun 2025 | 17 | 16 | 12 |
| May 2025 | 30 | 22 | 23 |
| Apr 2025 | 27 | 20 | 23 |
| Mar 2025 | 18 | 12 | 22 |
| Feb 2025 | 15 | 25 | 12 |
| Jan 2025 | 24 | 22 | 52 |
| Dec 2024 | 18 | 4 | 12 |
| Nov 2024 | 29 | 32 | 14 |
| Oct 2024 | 15 | 15 | 26 |
Ranked by drilling permits in the last 12 complete months. At most 25 counties are shown.
| County | Permits | Spuds | First production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 39 | 0 | 45 |
| Carroll | 38 | 0 | 38 |
| Harrison | 37 | 12 | 37 |
| Guernsey | 35 | 3 | 23 |
| Tuscarawas | 27 | 0 | 4 |
| Noble | 25 | 0 | 13 |
| Monroe | 24 | 0 | 3 |
| Jefferson | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Medina | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Columbiana | 5 | 0 | 12 |
| Morrow | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Marion | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Richland | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Cycle-time cohorts: permit-to-spud uses permits 6–36 months old; spud-to-first-production uses spuds 12–36 months old.
| Stage | Wells | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit to spud | 410 | 7 | 16 | 40 |
| Spud to first production | 410 | 146 | 185 | 214 |
Buckhead Energy computes every figure on this page from grouped records in public oil and gas data. The page shows counts, sums, percentiles and indexes only; it does not list individual wells, leases or permits.
Counts under 3 wells and percentiles under 5 wells are withheld; totals are floors.
12-month totals add only the monthly figures that were published, so they are floors, not exact counts.
Cycle-time cohorts: permit-to-spud uses permits 6–36 months old; spud-to-first-production uses spuds 12–36 months old.
Last computed: 2026-10-04. These figures are informational only and are not a valuation of any mineral or royalty interest.
Activity in a county does not establish anything about a specific tract. Compare these figures with your own lease, division order and statements when considering your mineral rights.
Get Your Free Written OfferOhio Oil & Gas Industry Snapshot Dashboard
Top Ohio Operators Leaderboard
Ohio Drilling Activity Report (permits, DUCs, spuds)
Ohio First-Production Counts by County
Ohio Formations & Plays Directory
US Mineral Market Activity Index (all 11 states ranked 0–100)
US Mineral & Drilling Activity Index (national rollup)
Texas Industry Snapshot (largest producing state)
Largest US Operators — National Leaderboard
Browse the Full Operator Directory
Live Oil & Gas Prices (WTI + Henry Hub)
